Spring Festival
Legend of Spring Festival Once upon a time, there was a monster called “nian” in China. It had tentacle on its head and was very ferocity.” Nian” lives in the deep sea. It landed every year and catch people or livestock. Because of that, every time the day of the New Year, people went in to the curves and then avoid damage. One year an old beggar came to the village. At that time villagers were busing move. One granny gave him some food, and suggested him to go to the curve with them. The old beggar smiles and said:” if you let me live in your house, I will drive” nian” away.” When the granny found that she could not let him go, she went away. At the mid night, “nian” came into the village. However it found that the situation was different: the granny’s house was covered with red paper, the light shinned inside the house. Also, the sound of “pipipapa” appeared, the old beggar who dressed red clothes came out. “Nian” was scared and ran away. After that day, villagers came back and was amazed to see the old beggar was fine. Originally, “nian” was scared by red. Then it became a habit to paste the antithetical couple, set up firecracker to drive away that monster. Then it becomes a sample of Spring Festival.article! Traditional Custom sweep the dust "The twelfth lunar month twenty-four, dust and sweep the house" according to the ‘Lv Shi Chun Qiu’ records a Chinese history book. China has the tradition of sweeping the dust since the era of Yao and Shun. The meaning of sweeping the dust is to get all the bad luck away. When spring festival comes, each family need to clean the environment, wash the equipment, change the bedding and curtains. Staying-up Staying-up is the most important tradition and appeared a long time ago. The first record is in Jin Zhou's "Feng Shi Zhi": New Year's Eve, each phase and presented, known as "fed years"; especially to invite, known as "farewell years"; old and young gather and drink, celebration complete, known as the "divided old"; Pay a New Year call In the early Song Dynasty, there were cards to pay a new year call between royal family called "calling card" or "name sticker". It cuts the letter paper into plum two inches wide and three inches long and write your name and address. In the modern society people always call each other or go visit others during spring festival to show their bless. The Spring Festival couplets Spring Festival couplets also called door couplets, spring stickers, poetic couplet, couplet, Taofu and so on. The style of the couplet is neatly, dual, concise, exquisite depict to sketch the background of that time, to express good wishes. It is China's unique form of literature. Each Spring Festival, no matter in the city or the countryside, every family will have couplets on the door. Antithetical couplet The couplet affixed to the door in order to increase the festive atmosphere. This custom started from Song Dynasty and became popular in the Ming Dynasty. When time went to the Qing Dynasty, the ideological and artistic level has been greatly improved. Liang Zhangju wrote in “kan lian cong hua” threshold association clump of couplets and characteristics of all kinds of work are discussed. There are many variety of new year, according to the use of premises, can be divided into the center door, box, tea, the spring strip, Dou Fang and so on “Door" affixed to the door at the upper end of the central part; "frame" affixed to the left and right two door; "tea" affixed to the door Mei bar; "spring" according to different content, pasted on the corresponding place; "catty" is also called "the door leaf", as Affirmative diamond, post more in furniture. Firecrackers Firecrackers can create a festive and lively atmosphere as the holiday entertainment activity. It can give people happiness and good luck. When the time passes, firecrackers used more widely, more and more varieties, every major holiday and wedding celebrations, and marriage, building opening, etc., should be set off firecrackers to celebrate, good luck. Hunan, Liuyang, Guangdong Foshan and Dong Yao, Jiangxi, Yichun and Pingxiang Zhejiang Wenzhou area is a famous town of fireworks and firecrackers, the production of color, high quality, not only sell well in the whole country, but also exported to the world. Traditional Spring Festival Cuisine Laba congee Rice cake There is an old legend about Chinese New Year Cake, which pronounced “Nian Gao” in Chinese. An ancient monster named “Nian” lived in mountain forests. It hunted other animals for food. In harsh winter, all other animals hided for hibernation. Thus “Nian” started to come out and hunt people. People were badly hurt. Then a very smart tribe named “Gao” found a solution. When winter came and the monster was about to come out, people in “Gao” would prepare a lot of food in strip in front of the door. At the same time, all people would hide in their home. “Nian” came but could not find anybody to eat, so it had to eat strip food instead and turned back to mountain after eating enough. After its leaving, all people would come out and congratulate to each other for their lucky survival. They could prepare for the spring’s coming now. Years by years, the method for protecting people from hurts of monster was repeated. Because the strip food is prepared by tribe “Gao” and for feeding “Nian”, it is named as “Nian Gao” eventually. And that is what we know as Chinese New Year Cake nowadays. Dumplings Rice dumpling Spring roll Spring Rolls, which is called “Chunbing” in Chinese, should be eaten in the beginning of spring according to an ancient Chinese tradition. In Jin Dynasty, there was already "plate of five taros", "spring plate", in which Spring Rolls would be placed together with vegetables. In Tang and Song Dynasties, the tradition of eating Chunbings in spring was spread, and emperor gave Chunbings to ministers as gifts. At that time, the spring plate is extremely exquisite. "Green thread and red silk, golden chicken and jade swallow, sophisticated, 10 thousand wens (unit of money in ancient China) for each plate." Folk also treasured the Spring Rolls as gifts to each other. The tradition of eating Chunbings also affected brother nations. When following Genghis Khan to conquer the western regions, Yelv Chulv ordered the chef to cook the spring plate, and made poetry. Nowadays, the shape and eating time of Chunbing are developed differently in different region. It can be cooked or steamed. It can be as big as a fan, or as small as an eredivisie.